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bring you the latest in science and technology from the realms of. the future coverage. once it was a part of russian territory there are still reminders to this day children wearing russian national costumes people having russian names and many orthodox churches are standing here but more than one hundred forty years ago it became the u.s. territory though some americans still don't know about. this over the last year i have no idea about let's like nothing i don't know anything about alaska it's cold . it was cold a box of ice a polar bear garden and war russia but in the language of the indigenous peoples the word alaska means the great land.

sven haakanson is steering his boat out of the narrow bay of kodiak island his ancestors have lived here since time immemorial. over the thousands of years they to solve this seascape each time they put out to sea to hunt. but they use their old canoes with a couple of paddles instead of comparable motor boats with powerful engines in the past yes it was very very difficult to hunt as an individual you need to group in order to. in order to actually capture for example you look at the sea lions over here in order for you to hunt one of those in the several people. on a summer jane seven hundred forty one scores of natives of the land set out on a hunting expedition in canaries they spotted odd looking ships on the horizon. those big sail boats in the launch to an expedition led by russian explorers

bearing and cherokee. that was how kodiak island made its appearance on russian maps the first colonists were. guided by those maps with landed on the island more than forty years later seventeen eighty four the city of kodiak was the capital of russian america for fifteen years. streets serve as a reminder of that time. many of them still bear the names of russian travelers and emergence. there is still the street name a shell a cult who all founded with his wife ned tell us the very first russian permanent settlement in alaska and then there is still a coffs son in law were soft named after nikolai was. who are representing the government of russia and also the russian american company.

the russian american company was founded in seventy nine hundred eighty primarily with the hunting and the selling of sea otters which dwelt in large colonies on the alaskan coast. this building was used as a warehouse from here the for which to russia and to china this c.r. pill has the sink asst for of any animal the most furs per square inch this is the animal itself the sea otter this animal was what caused the for gold rush to alaska by russian. russian traveler. for. two thousand and nine he organized an expedition to retrace the steps of his fellow countrymen. and was the first ever european to reach alaska's hinterland in this unexplored land and establish contact with you

have the original people. looking p. . welcome to normally just as their ancestors welcome is a ghost in two hundred fifty years ago their homes may have changed a lot but their attitude to russians remains the same. shit over clearly we welcome them back or exist in the places that it once is bases of visigoths can expect. tell them about russians many of the local people says already they had russian ancestors. when the russians came to alaska the lives of the indigenous people changed. many of them began to work for the russian american company jobs involved hunting for sea otters fishing and taking part in the building of new settlements russian priests and monks visited alaska and baptized the locals in three orthodox faith russian men married local girls.

or the. russian men learned local women and their children were called creole as they were some creoles were well educated they held top posts in the russian capital to ship as well as in the colonial ministration you know i would guess it's going to. surrender how concerned the lives a life entirely different from his ancestors to him putting out to sea is more like fun the more. it's fun is proud of his traditional bathhouse he sees it as a symbol of successive generations and imbedded russian traditions. when the russians came. the thing that is similar are the rocks and he was steaming to washington inside the vanya and that's something that we've been doing for centuries and that's a tradition where the now we have a wooden house which is a russian vanya which just adapted to it i mean i grew up taking one yes for bass.

svend cs telling the history of. people as a mission he cheery it's a museum which is one of the principal tourist attractions of kodiak island when futurists visited during low season local people come here to when the russians actually took over our claimed alaska for russia spirit don't simulate one of sen's friends together with his family is listening to his story although his name is of russian origin he doesn't know a single word of the language spoken on the other side of the bering strait nor does he know much about where his last name comes from earth is what my mom told me . for they were taken people rocker her grandpa you're on your honor and they couldn't say are. we were russian.

screw don't simeonoff doesn't need to speak russian services in the orthodox church and kodiak city are held in english. father in again she was born in new england a place that is far away from here he has no russian roots nevertheless he decided to serve as an orthodox priest in alaska but it was a long story. it's a story of growing up in a christian church a protestant church but only he's joining the c.e.o. for face the full experience of that and finding that in orthodoxy as a young man and eventually answering the call into the priesthoods of. the church where father in canton serves stands where the first church in the new

world used to be alaska is still predominantly orthodox the u.s. state. russians and the priest said then came didn't force us to not speak our language they didn't force us to not follow our traditional ways of living we did you know start practicing our all the religious practices but pretty much everything else they'd the same thing language but then in doing the american period. when the americans came they wanted to civilize us. american archaeologist david mcmahon is exploring the remains of russian legacy on alaska. these are lead seals they would have been used by employees of the russian american company but around bales of her this is one of the most important finds of his career some of the objects were found at the site

of the first russian settlements others on the ocean floor so these are this is. the ship's frames this together with russian colleagues give gania unashamed david mcmahon raised the many remains of the russian ship kodiak from the depths of the ocean the ship belonging to the russian american company sank near the shores of kodiak island in eight hundred sixty i strayed was very lucrative because the gold miners in california needed ice for their drinks so even if half of it melted but it was still make a good profit the ship was leaving and it hit a rock everyone got off the ship but because of the ice on board the ship stayed afloat for several days before finally sank. the archaeologist dives twenty five meters deep to explore the remains of the ship the kodiak was one of a dozen ships keeping the lines of communication with russia open similar ships

regularly sailed in the length of the north pacific many saw the ship wreck as a symbol the russian american company was in dire straits. at the beginning of the eighteenth sixty's the company reached the edge of bankruptcy that caused a debate on whether alaska could be sold the vast territory was inhabited by eight hundred colonists at the very most this number was well below what russia needed to control and defended. its. what a pity really if those factors lead to a serious discussion about a potential sale for that they were held in an atmosphere of secrecy laws only a handful of fishelson knew about them by feel it's the league. america was not particularly keen on buying a faraway territory a russian envoy to washington eduardo steckel was told to do his best to convince the u.s. government that it would gain norma's benefits by acquiring alaska. steckel had the

support of u.s. state secretary who seward was in favor of a u.s. territorial expansion. finally in eight hundred sixty seven after lengthy negotiations alaska was sold to the united states for the price of seven point two million dollars. on october the eighteenth eight hundred sixty seven of the russian flag was lowered in the former alaskan capital of sitka. in its stead america's colors were raised. today happy alaska day is one of the major holidays of the forty ninth state. during the bright show the residents of said to reenact the procedure of handing over the flag from russians to americans. in eight hundred sixty seven the ceremony for placing the russian colony under u.s. control was much more modest. the american government was weary of accusations that

they had wasted a lot of money headlines and splashed across the newspapers scoffed at the purchase describing it as nothing more than a box of vice. rumor even had is that of the seven point two million dollars paid some two hundred thousand was given to senators in the form of kick backs. with opinion but opinion put it on their side deliberate steps were taken of well i hope of upswelling some sentences. towards a hitch free ratification of the treaty. after alaska came under u.s. control the russian american company lost its influence and the russian settlers were offered a choice either return to russia or live in the reservation like settlement of neil check. what became of the money earned in the alaska deal was shrouded in mystery. the official version claimed that the whole payment reached russia and was spent on the construction of railways. rivers persisted however that the ship carrying the

gold received from the sale of alaska had sunk in the pacific. fifty fifty

. business. geary and school was born and raised in alaska like many alaskans he refers to other states and the lower forty eight gary is sure that americans have a poor impression of the forty nine most people in the lower forty eight don't know that alaska is part of america some believe it's still piped to russia but many believe that it's own country and they wonder what kind of money they're going to have to use when they're here and what language we speak and those kind of things i have actually had people compliment me on you sound just like in america. gary

a school called has lived in the small settlements of. since birth there are more than twenty school cos here his grandfather knew only a few english words gary however doesn't speak russian my grandfather passed away a couple of decades ago and my grandmother. passed away soon after that just some distance from here my father is buried and and most of my relatives and one day i will be to. right after the peninsula was sold to the americans the village was built on the sea shore all of the employees of the russian american company who refused to move to russia had been banished here by the us government one of the older buildings is right down below it doesn't have a window in it and built in the old log dovetail design with the death pale corners there are several other buildings that are better throughout here including sheds

that were used for fishing the older ones were built as as old as the late eighteen hundreds all the residents of new chick are related to each other one way or another they entered the houses irene she died in nine hundred eighty five one of the most successful people born in india is laurent lehman who is a distant relative of gary a school called four years ago he was the lieutenant governor of alaska for us because he's only passing through today and has decided to stay with his uncle and aunt their ancestors were russians and they still use russian words in their everyday lexicon. through see the difference in the wizard mary which is a word. a few hours later he will visit his father at a nursing home in the town of sold. i tell him i tell my father that every time. oh. yes. morning leanin doesn't see

the russian heritage simply as a distant episode in the history of his native state he remembers well that when he was a child far more people spoke russian than english i've talked about it with my brothers about the russian herds and we often joked about it when we get within about ten miles of we're doing what we call speaking than we start talking like my father telling some of the stories it is still a very. part of my heritage. more no drives it sold around lunchtime he visits his father at the local nursing home he says a few phrases in russian earthenware no go i. was there conscious because. nick lehman can't remember names and faces clearly last year he had a stroke. while. you're here with

us believe me. that's my son and he cleans condition sometimes makes him imagine he's not it's old old news nursing home but in the old settlement of the real chick where everyone has a boat for christmas is celebrated in early january rather than in december and where people in nearly every home speak russian. don't struggle. for goes away though i do not have this problem. with the russian a group of. lehman is one of the few people here who still remember the russian era of the land its former legacy is gradually being forgotten much in the same way as old people's memories fade away i'd like to teach my children about their heritage we've shared it it's caught on especially with our oldest child our son and i think the best way we can do it was to talk about it serves some of the

stories maybe even some of the language i want them to understand our very rich cultural heritage. it makes me think that. it is. brazen here is one of the most popular teachers and so i don't know high school gory used to teach english to russian children in the russian town of. course today he teaches russian in alaska none of the children in his class has a slavic name all of them are americans who've decided to learn the language that was once dominant in this part of the worlds. your volunteer and briana while your . fellow. this is the you know this thing that's. been done here. i'm not. here. seasoned self as a representative of the new wave of russian settlers of alaska who cheers he makes

himself at home the russian legacy is everywhere. because it could be there are at least about seven hundred. names place names on the map of that that conspicuously russia for example read. from read boot sale dog or from cell device then the presence of the churches here so you know the words. let's put it like this here in alaska will live in the presence of the past. is another russian enclave in alaska that emerged here on hundred years after the sale of the peninsula. its four hundred inhabitants trying to stick to a lifestyle reminiscent of siberia rather than america. did thirty people first came here in one thousand six to eight years and this is the first house they have built yet to be faced why they feel me whew you know so young you know how do you

choose to not even mind for some reason trying to guess why there's no escape for you dressed to kill. and even if it is famous and nicholai ask and she is known for causing a stir the locals are not particularly fond of her because she is the only settler who is always ready to talk to journalists. the reason is that all believers live in the settlement and they always prefer a reclusive lifestyle. the founders of nikolayev fled the soviet union to america to escape persecution on religious grounds in alaska the old believers trying to distance themselves from civilization much like they would do in russia and initially it was a prime it no doubt about that but the signs have been removed and now people can visit us here they can talk to us and meet. is no longer settlements today it is even something of

a tourist attraction because they run by the feel of the most lucrative business in the settlement. this is mission. big. for three decades it never occurred to the old believers that someday americans might be among their neighbors they tried to escape visiting other towns but now the american houses stay near the russian ones but i think we've no matthew has five children he moved. seven years ago after buying one third of the local land his american dream is slowly becoming a reality the land was. pretty good price the russians actions the russians people that are here your thoughts they have a nice set of values. friendly relations with that but as the years ago by she becomes ever more apprehensive of the prospect of nikolai of

losing its status as a russian enclave and turning into just another quiet settlement in alaska. children in the settlement still where russian national dress but english is now their mother tongue. for growing up in a russian village but we go to english school that learn english not as much russian i think or the time our church is going to probably go more americanised faith i believe that for vanek. grade which american. the new wave of settlers who moved to alaska during the last decades came from siberia twentieth century russian destinations changed in comparison with the eighteenth century the majority preferred alaska's largest city anchorage rather than kodiak island or the can i put. out of the city's three hundred thousand strong population five thousand are migrants from

russia. his front group is rehearsing in a garage situated in an. anchorages suburb. is the youngest of the band everybody calls him. his perfect english hides his true origin he was born in the siberian town of. children of the russians who came here you know nine hundred eighty nine nine hundred ninety s. the girls are about twenty years old now just some of this russian generation has grown up in alaska where they speak very good english and understand spoken russian and it is indeed a new generation of music i mean when you might. of the songs of the greenberg group says there's a place where everybody is going to the place to be actually an entirely different places mentioned the song but the new russian submarines have taken the him like lines close to the heart.

of the. russians don't see themselves as masters of alaska they see themselves as guests. of the traveler is among them he and his friends are embarking on a second expedition to the peninsula. once again they will retrace the steps of early russian explorers. team will have to go through a strenuous course of training before the second expedition and they intend to use the same gear that the early russian explorers had no motorboats only can do. both and since we are repeating the historical roots of the alaskan discoverer. then we want to know the actual truth and that's why we didn't have a choice of presbyterians. suspend hawkinson head of the community of indigenous people living in kodiak island takes

a dim view of the desire of europeans to make a very lives more difficult. his ancestors used to put out to sea in. keeper for. there's motorboats. certain things giving up the perks of civilization is a foolish thing to do. yet despite embracing the modern era inwardly he still remains committed to the simple principles preached by his ancestors. we were here for thousands of years. but you know we didn't have this system of paper saying that we can claim this land because in our philosophy in our worldview. you can own land the land owns you you know how can you say you own there when you're only here for a little bit and then you go it's a whole different philosophy of owning it versus living with it.

a charmer in here broadcasting live from washington d.c. coming up today on the big picture of.

me he beat. the.